


It's An Age Thing

by camichats



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Breaking Up & Making Up, Communication, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Insecurity, Jon Snow is a Stark, Lies, M/M, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 15:52:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18876337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camichats/pseuds/camichats
Summary: Tormund only meant to return Jon's book, he didn't mean to find out that his boyfriend was still in high school.





	It's An Age Thing

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE NOTE: Jon's underage, Tormund's very not and there's lots of talking about it. They had sex before the reveal, but it's only mentioned. There's a bit of talk from Ned about teenage pregnancy, but again, only mentioned. Also the barest mentions of rape, but it's so small that I didn't feel the need to tag it. 
> 
> ALSO also for the love of god if you are underage don't date someone outside of high school when you're still in it.

"What the fuck are you thinking being with him?" someone spat, getting in Tormund's face like they were looking for a fight. It was clearly someone related to Jon, probably his father or an uncle or something. And he didn't like that Jon and Tormund were together. He couldn't say if it was something personal against Tormund, or if maybe they were homophobic so they didn't like the idea of Jon with _any_  man, but Tormund had dealt with this sort of bullshit enough times that instead of cowering away, he squared up. 

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Tormund growled. Okay so his original plan of making a good impression on the relatives wasn't going so great, but what else was he supposed to do? "Jon can make his own decisions without you sticking your bloody nose everywhere, so you can fuck off." 

The other man grit his teeth, and Tormund was fully prepared to get into a fight if that's what it came down to. Fortunately, Jon's voice interrupted the too tense moment, and they took a half step back from each other. Still in swinging distance, but not quite as likely to escalate the situation without cause. "Tormund?" Jon said again, walking a little bit closer across the massive yard. "What are you doing here?" 

He didn't catch the nervousness in his tone until he turned to look at him, tossing the book over even though it had quickly become forgotten clutched in his hand, but he didn't have time to think about why Jon would be nervous to see him. "You said you'd lost it, but I found it at mine, so I brought it over." 

"Thanks," Jon said, but it was overshadowed by his relative saying, "What was it doing at your place?" 

Tormund turned back to him, glaring. "Take a wild fucking guess." 

"Uncle Benjen let's go back inside," Jon said hurriedly. "Thanks for bringing it by Tormund, I'll see you tomorrow." 

"Like hell you will," Benjen said. 

"What's your problem?" Tormund asked. 

"He's too young for you! He should be worried about school, not skipping out on his homework and breaking curfew to spend time with you." 

"Breaking curfew?" Tormund asked, raising an eyebrow. "How much control do you need to have over him?" 

"Uncle Benjen, let's just-" 

"He's a kid! I'm looking out for him, we all are." 

"Instead of looking out for him, why don't you realize that he can make his own decisions? He's not a fucking child, he doesn't need you dogging him." 

Jon stepped forward, book in one hand and using the other to grab his uncle's arm to try and pull him towards the house. "You need some time to cool off, let's get some space and you can think about it." 

Again, Jon was ignored. "Not a child?" Benjen repeated. "He's in _high school_. He's not wearing nappies, but that's a far cry from being on his own!" 

"High school? What the fuck are you talking about?" Tormund asked, turning to look at Jon. What he saw in Jon's expression made him pause, stomach sinking. 

Jon was frozen, his eyes wide in panic, and all the features in his face that made him look young were more fitting. He'd written the chubbiness in his cheeks off, because hardly anyone actually looked their age, and besides they'd met first in a bar, then at a college party. He'd had no reason to think that Jon wasn't in college himself, especially since he'd never mentioned the typical high school drama that Tormund would have expected. 

"You told me you were twenty two," he said flatly. 

Jon winced. "I-"

"He's seventeen. _Barely_. Had his nameday two months ago." 

The last threads of Tormund's hope that this was a weird mistake or prank burned at the resignation on Jon's face. This wasn't a lie, it was just something he'd hoped Tormund would never find out. He left for his car and didn't look back, not even when Jon called out his name, telling him to wait, that he could explain. He opened the door of his truck and took off down the driveway. 

Jon went slack in his uncle's hold as Tormund's truck vanished from view. "Why did you do that?" he demanded, whirling on Benjen. "You let him get away! You didn't let me explain-" 

"Explain what? That you're underage and you lied to him? If he's as great as you keep insisting, he'll never look at you again." 

Jon blinked angry tears from his eyes and went back towards the house. He'd left his phone in the living room with his homework, so he dropped the book down as he picked it up and trudged to his room. He closed the door and dialed Tormund, but he didn't answer. He sat on the edge of his bed, a little disappointed despite the fact that Jon hadn't expected him to, but before he knew it the voicemail was rolling, telling him to leave a message and beeping. "Hey.... Um. Sorry. For not... telling you. I-." Jon let out a breath. "I love you, and I know you love me. So let's... let's talk? Please?" 

He listened to the silence for a bit longer before he hung up. He collapsed back on the mattress, staring up at the dark grey of his ceiling. He'd been happy this morning. A little sore from having sex the previous night, tired from staying out so late, not looking forward to the list of chores he needed to complete for breaking curfew, but ultimately he'd been happy. Right now he felt miserable. 

He'd been there a while, at least half an hour maybe more, when a knock came on his door. "Come in." He leaned up to see who it was, then collapsed back when he saw it was his father. "I know I'm doing the dishes tonight, I didn't forget." 

"It's not about that," Ned said, closing the door behind him as he stepped inside. "Though I am glad to see you remember it." 

"Then what?" 

Ned walked over to his bed, sitting next to him. Jon sat up because it felt wrong to be sprawled out like that when his father was being so put together. "Benjen told me what happened." 

His shoulders hunched in automatically, and he stared at a spot on the floor between him and the dresser. 

"How old is he?" 

"Twenty five," Jon mumbled. 

Ned nodded, ever the picture of calm. Jon was looking at the floor, but his father was looking at him. "How did you meet him?" 

"Bar. I was picking Theon up because you were busy." 

"And Theon goes to college, so he thought you were the same age." 

Jon nodded, a small, ashamed motion. 

"Your mother... the one that gave birth to you. We were in high school when she got pregnant." 

Jon looked up at him. Ned almost never mentioned Jon's birth mother, much less out of the blue like this. 

He gave his son a small smile. "I remember thinking that I could never love anyone as much as I loved her. It felt like the beginning of the rest of my life, and when she died giving birth, I thought it was the end. Do you love him? Your boyfriend?" 

"You're going to tell me that I'm too young for it," Jon said instead of answering the question. He looked back at the floor. 

Ned shook his head, wrapping an arm around Jon's shoulders. "Maybe you love him. Maybe he loves you back, but it doesn't matter." 

"How does that not matter?" 

"You're too young. Not for love, I don't think it would be fair of me to say something like that. But for him, you're too young." 

"Your idea of making me feel better is to tell me that he's too old for me?" 

"No." 

"Is there a part of this where you _do_  make me feel better?" 

"Jon... you're seventeen. If you went to the police and told them he raped you, he'd be arrested. At a trial, he'd get the maximum sentence. If you were overage, there would be back and forth and if anything happened at all, he might get six months or a fine; he'd be back to his life without any world shattering changes. It doesn't matter that you love him and that in ten years you might feel the same way you do now, you could destroy his life with barely a word." 

"I would never-" 

"I know." He pressed a kiss to the top of Jon's head. 

He leaned into his father's side, trying not to break down. "What should I do?" 

"I don't know." 

"What would you do in my position?" Jon insisted. 

Ned sighed, rubbing Jon's arm. "I suppose," he said slowly, "that I would assure him my intentions were not to hurt him and apologize." 

Jon nodded. "And then what?" 

"Ask him to forgive me, and if he does, I would wait until I turned of age to continue a relationship." 

"But that's ten months, almost an entire year," Jon protested. 

"If he's worth the wait, that won't matter." 

Jon bit his lip and didn't tell his father that that wasn't his concern. He'd wait for Tormund as long as he needed to, but he wasn't sure Tormund felt the same way even before he'd discovered the truth. Jon had been available and attractive. Tormund told him over and over how pretty he was, and he'd said that he thought Jon was smart, but there were plenty of people out there who were more attractive, who were smarter, and all of them would be in the age range Tormund was actually willing to date within. Jon was pretty, and he was plenty willing to hop into bed. Without the option of sex, how attractive he was didn't matter, and when he had neither of those, it meant that Tormund wasn't going to stick around. He'd find someone better, someone who didn't lie to him from the start. 

"Jon, I know this is important to you, but please focus on your schoolwork. You need to find a balance between this relationship and the rest of your life. You've talked about going to Winterfell University since you were ten, but right now you're failing your history class. It's pre-Seven Kingdoms, I thought you'd be excited for it." 

"I haven't done my homework is all." 

"And why not?" 

Jon shrugged, but Ned saw right through that. 

"You've been hiding that you're in high school, so you haven't had the time for it." Ned sighed when Jon gave a small nod. "No one ever told me parenting would be this hard. I don't want you to ruin your life over a relationship." 

"You got married as soon as you turned eighteen." 

"Yes, and it's a miracle that Catelyn and I managed to work things out. I know it's different for you, but I have no desire to see you make the same mistakes I did." 

"I doubt Tormund would marry me even if the circumstances were the same," Jon murmured, then swallowed thickly, wondering why he had admitted that. 

Ned heaved another heavy laden breath, squeezing Jon tight to him for a moment. "I will help you for your chores tonight. Tomorrow, you will go to school, and do your best to pay attention in class." 

Jon nodded, feeling a childish urge to cling to his father until he felt comforted again. 

"And when you get back, we can talk again. Get some rest, a little bit of distance, maybe you'll feel better. Okay?" 

Jon doubted that he'd feel even the slightest bit better, but he still said, "Okay." 

"Good. Now that that's done," he said, bringing his arm back from Jon's shoulders to settle it by his own side, "were the two of you ever- ahem, physical with each other?" 

"Oh gods," Jon groaned, covering his face with his hands. 

Ned continued awkwardly, staring at his hands in his lap. "Just because you can't get pregnant is no reason to not be safe. STD's are-" 

"Please stop talking," Jon said against his palms. " _If_  we did anything, I was smart enough to use a condom." 

"That's good, but safe sex doesn't begin and end with using a condom, there are-" 

"I know Dad, by the gods." He took a deep breath and dropped his hands, which showed how red his face had become. "We had this talk when I was fourteen remember? It was very informative, and I remember it." 

"Okay well-" Ned cleared his throat "-good." He got to his feet and started walking to the door. He paused, glancing at Jon over his shoulder. "I love you Jon. No matter what else happens with this situation, with you, you are my son and I will always be here for you." 

Jon swallowed, trying yet again not to cry as he brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around himself. "Thanks Dad. I love you too." 

Ned nodded, and then he left. 

Jon reached for his phone, checking to see if Tormund had messaged him. Nothing. Chewing on his lip, he thought about what Ned had said to him. _Apologize, explain_. Calling wouldn't do him any good, so he opened their messages and started tapping out a message. 

 _I'm sorry I lied and never told you the truth._  Send. 

 _I wasn't thinking about the consequences or how it would effect you._  Send. 

He paused, rereading the texts and trying to think of what he should say next. Would it matter? Tormund might not even read them. ~~_I love you_~~  No that wasn't right. Father had said that whether or not he loved him didn't matter, and even if that wasn't true it didn't seem like a good idea to tell Tormund that right now, not after he already said it in the voicemail he left. 

 _I care about you and I don't want this to be the end. I know you might want time. I'm willing to wait if that's what you want._  Send. 

He sighed, and even though it was the last thing in the world he wanted to do, he headed back downstairs to work on his homework. Arya came running up to him, stolen popsicle in her chubby hand. "Jon, save me!" she cried, hiding behind his legs. It was easy to forget about the specifics with Tormund after that with the usual loud family antics taking up space in his mind instead. 

He was doing the dishes with Ned when his phone started to ring. He glanced at the counter where it was sitting and saw a picture of Tormund lighting up the screen. 

"Go ahead," Ned said, handing him a dishtowel so he could dry off his hands. 

Jon wiped his hands off hurriedly, not wanting to miss the call and have it go to voicemail. "Hey." 

"... **Hey**." 

"Did you get my messages?" 

Ned sneaked out of the kitchen, the door swinging closed behind him. " **Yeah.** " 

"And?" 

" **You're too young Jon. Gods, you're _eight years_  younger than me.**" 

He swallowed. "Aunt Lysa and Jon Arryn are twenty years apart, and they seem pretty happy." 

" **Your family's fucked up. No offense.** " 

"Eight years isn't that much," Jon tried. 

" **Didn't your dad have you super young? Like sixteen?** " 

"Yeah." 

" **That means I'm eight years younger than your dad, and you're eight years younger than me. Don't you think that's weird?** " 

"Not really," he said in a small voice. 

Tormund sighed over the phone. " **I'm sorry Jon, but I don't- this isn't a good idea. I don't think we should see each other anymore**." 

It felt like Jon's heart stopped in his chest. "Like... ever? I turn eighteen in August, and I'd actually be in college by then, so it wouldn't be that weird. Pretty much like when we first met only not a lie, which makes it better. It would great, we could-" 

" **Jon.** " 

He stuttered to a stop. 

" **I mean ever. It was... good while it lasted. But we can't jump back into it, even if we wait for you to be legal.** " 

"But- Tormund, I- I love you, I don't want this to be the end. I was _happy_  last night with you." 

" **I was happy too** ," he said quietly, a soft confession that, Jon was realizing with a growing sense of terror, he would never heard again. " **Goodbye Jon.** " 

It felt like he couldn't breathe. "Tormund?" No answer. He'd hung up, but Jon had to try again. "Tormund?" Shaking, his hand dropped to the side. He didn't mean to drop his phone, but his grip wasn't what it should have been and it fell to the floor with a clatter. He stumbled back to standing in front of the sink and put his hands on the edge of the counter, propping him up as he took shaking breaths. 

There were dishes, he should... he was supposed to finish those. He put his hands back in the warm, soapy water, occasionally turning his face into his shoulder to wipe off his wet face. 

* * *

"The fuck's wrong with you?" Sandor asked when Tormund screwed up again. 

"Nothing," he growled, ripping the ruined sheet off the drawing pad and crumpling it. 

"I thought you had a date tonight, shouldn't you be happy that you're going to get laid?" 

"Shut up." 

Sandor glanced at him. "You break up?" Tormund's face got darker, so he snorted, turning back to his own easel. "You won't do better than him. I've got a friend that's more realistic for you. Bit ugly, but that's why you'd get along." 

"I broke up with him," Tormund corrected, still looking like he wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole. 

"Why the fuck did you do that?" 

"Turns out he's underage." 

"No shit? That blows." 

"No kidding." 

"You waiting until he turns eighteen to get back together then?" 

"Why does everyone think that?" 

"Maybe because you were happy together, you cunt." 

Tormund glared at him. "What part of underage don't you fucking get?" 

Sandor shrugged. "Consent's sixteen, and it's not like you're a bloody pedophile, you didn't know." 

"Are you telling me I should get back together with him?" Tormund asked incredulously. 

"You're a twat, and listening to you fawn over him is better than hearing you whinge about it now." From Sandor, that was a glowing recommendation to get back together with Jon. Which was... not something he'd been expecting. He frowned as he focused on the picture in front of him. Maybe he should text Ygritte and see what she thought. 

A while later, when the class let out, he did just that. _How would you feel if you were dating someone my age?_  

**_I'd probably say 'hey do you know my brother? he's the loser with a beard and a pretty boyfriend while I'm single what the fuck'._ **

_Can I get a serious answer?_

_**Probs not.** _

_I'll take you to that stupid theme park this weekend._

_**Not spending time with Jon?** _

_**Taking a break?** _

_**Having a domestic?** _

_**If you say yes to that I'll be so fucking happy** _

_Answer the bloody question_

_**Siiiiigh fine** _

_**Does this hypothetical date of mine know how young I am?** _

_No_

_**It's Jon isn't it? Is he my age?** _

Tormund thought, for a long moment, about not telling her. If she'd guessed and he didn't deny it though, she would know it was the truth. _Yeah_

_**And you think it's wrong of you to feel the same way you did back when he was just three years younger than you?** _

_Basically yeah_

_**Dude don't worry about it. I think everyone knows you'd never hurt him, age difference or not.** _

_**WAIT** _

_**IS YOUR JON JON SNOW?????** _

_That's his last name, why??_

_**OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!** _

_What do you mean omg_

_Omg WHAT_

_YGRITTE_

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING_

Tormund frowned at his phone for a few minutes, but she didn't answer. He put his phone away-- she was in class, he probably just caught her at a bad time.

* * *

Jon was waiting for Sansa to pull herself away from her friends so they could head home, but it was slow going. Robb was standing next to her, not even making an attempt to get her to stop talking. Jon was used to this by now, so he just leaned against the wall and thought about how he no longer had plans for tonight. 

"You're Jon, right?" 

He looked up to see who was saying it, then froze. It was Ygritte, someone who was on the soccer team and rode a motorcycle to school. In a word, she was cooler than Jon and ran with a completely different crowd. "Uhh," he said awkwardly. "Yeah?" 

She grinned, walking closer. "Ygritte, and I hear that you're the one dating my brother." 

Jon frowned. He didn't know she had a brother. To be fair, pretty much all he knew about her was that she had a motorcycle and played soccer. "I think you've mistaken me for someone else." 

"Nope. Tormund, big ole guy, yea tall," she said, holding her hand at about Tormund's height. "Built like a fucking bear, smiles a lot. Any of this ringing a bell?" 

"Yeah. I mean yes, we were dating. What about it?" 

"Well here's the thing Johnny boy," she said, joining him against the wall and putting an arm around his shoulders like they were old friends, "my brother's an idiot, and he's starting to _realize_ he was a fucking idiot for breaking up with you, so you should drop by his place and remind him of all the reasons he likes you. Personally, I don't see the appeal, but I guess he likes the emo/brooding thing you have going on." 

"I'm not brooding." 

"Yes you are," Robb said, Sansa at his side. She nodded in agreement, apparently having broken herself away from her friends. "Can we go now?" 

"I was waiting on you," Jon grumbled. 

"Think about it, alright Snow?" Ygritte said. 

"I will." 

"Great." She grinned and pat him on the shoulder before she left. 

"Is that your girlfriend?" Sansa asked innocently. 

"No. Let's go." 

* * *

First, Jon thought about what Ygritte said, wondering if there was any truth to it. Then he thought about visiting him like she had suggested. That seemed a little invasive, because what if she was wrong? He would be showing up at Tormund's right after the man told him they were done. That made him think that maybe he should he text him first, just to make sure. Somehow that seemed like even _more_  of a mistake. 

They made it home after school, but instead of Jon parking the car and going inside, he dropped off his siblings and told them he'd be back before dinner, then he texted his father and told him the same thing. He was at a light when his phone buzzed, and he checked it just in case Ned was going to tell him that he had to come home. Fortunately, it just said _Okay, see you soon. Let me know if you'll be later_. 

Jon drove to Tormund's flat, then spent ten minutes sitting in the car second guessing himself. What if Ygritte had just been messing with him? It's not like he thought she was a cruel person or anything, but if Tormund was mad at him and he mentioned it to his sister, she might have taken it on herself to embarrass him a little. 

However he couldn't take the chance that Tormund wanted to get back together and he did nothing. If there was even a chance, he needed to see him. He got out of the car, locked the doors, and walked the familiar path up to Tormund's place. There was another moment of indecision as he knocked on the door, but it was too late to turn back now. 

"Jon? What are you doing here?" 

"Ygritte said you-" Jon stopped. Gods this was a mistake. If Tormund wanted him back he would have said something, and he didn't need Jon bothering him like a stupid ex that didn't know when to let go. "Fuck, nevermind. I'm sorry, I'll go." 

"Wait." 

Jon looked up, seeing Tormund for the first time since yesterday when he'd gotten the news about Jon's real age. 

"Ygritte talked to you?" 

He nodded. 

"What did she say?" 

"That you regretted breaking up with me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you." 

"No," Tormund said quickly, making sure that Jon didn't take even a step. "You're not bothering me. Come in." He stepped back, holding the door open. 

He walked in, the apartment a warm comfort. 

"You just get out of school?" 

"Yeah." 

Tormund nodded, looking a bit awkward in his own space. 

"You asked." 

"I know," he sighed. "Everyone says that if you're okay with it, I shouldn't care." 

"And what do you think about that?" 

"That I love you and want to keep you dating you." 

"So we're not broken up anymore?" Jon asked hopefully. 

"Not if you don't want to be." 

Jon threw himself at Tormund, arms around his neck and standing on his tiptoes to reach Tormund's mouth. "I missed you so much." 

"We haven't been broken up a day." He paused. "But I missed you too." He wrapped an arm around Jon's waist as they continued to kiss, not even thinking about it until Jon moaned, pressing himself closer. Tormund pulled back with a frown. "We're not doing that." 

"Why not?" 

"You're underage." 

"We've done it before. The night before we broke up, for one," Jon pointed out. "What does it matter if we keep doing it?" 

"It's different." 

Jon dropped back down so his weight was on all of his feet instead of just the tips. "I don't see how," he said, but he wasn't pushing it. "How long is it going to take for you to be ready?" 

"I dunno." He leaned down and kissed Jon again. "I'll let you know. Also if you could tell your uncle not to kill me before we see each other again, that would be good." 

"Uncle Benjen's not going to kill you," Jon said, rolling his eyes. "Once he knew I lied to you, he stopped hating you and got mad at me instead." 

"And the rest of your family?" 

He shrugged. "Dad's okay with it, and Mrs. Stark tends to follow his lead. Though he did give me a horrifying talk about safe sex when he found out." 

"You told your father we were fucking, and he doesn't want me dead? That sounds like a lie, little crow." 

"I didn't tell him we were fucking, he just said that _if_  we were 'physical' we should be safe." 

"I'm never going to be able to look him in the eye." 

"That was always going to be the case," Jon said. "Is kissing out of the question?" 

"No, but don't you have homework?" 

"No," Jon lied. 

Tormund raised an eyebrow. 

"I do," he admitted. "But we have a date tonight." 

"No, I made a date with my college boyfriend. My-" he made a face as he said it "-highschool boyfriend needs to go home and tell me when he's _actually_  free." 

"This sucks." 

"Yep. Have fun," Tormund said, kissing him on the cheek. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr [@cami-chats](http://cami-chats.tumblr.com)


End file.
